Donaldson: Defensive depth a concern for the Patriots

It would be silly to say that the Patriots, favored by many — including yours truly — to win their sixth straight AFC East title this season, are in deep trouble.

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By
Jim Donaldson
Posted Jul. 16, 2014 @ 1:18 pm

It would be silly to say that the Patriots, favored by many — including yours truly — to win their sixth straight AFC East title this season, are in deep trouble.

But that’s not to say that the Pats don’t have a depth problem.

Especially on defense.

The story in Wednesday’s paper by Mark Daniels, the talented and enthusiastic young writer who’s taken over the Patriots beat at the Journal, about the health concerns of several key players got me to thinking — and worrying — about the Patriots’ lack of defensive depth.

I’d like to be optimistic, but I don’t think it’s realistic to expect both Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly, veteran defensive linemen coming off serious injuries, to play a full season this year after missing a combined 23 games in 2013.

Wilfork, a 5-time Pro Bowler, went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the fourth game of the season at Atlanta. Kelly was lost for the year a week later at Cincinnati, with a knee injury.

Although Wilfork has been extremely durable throughout his career in New England — he missed just six games in eight seasons from 2005 through 2012 — he’ll be 33 in November and is coming off a serious injury while weighing every ounce of the 325 pounds at which the Patriots list him.

Kelly, who started every game for the Raiders from 2008 through 2012, also is 33 and weighs 310.

On the plus side, they’re two guys who have been largely free of injury throughout their careers. On the minus side, they’re nearing the end of their careers and have absorbed a lot of hits, a lot of wear-and-tear, in the brutal mosh pit that is the line of scrimmage in the NFL.

With those two veterans missing most of last season, the Pats finished 30th in rushing yards allowed (2,145).

Behind them on the depth chart are Chris Jones and Joe Vellano, who started a combined 19 games last season for New England as rookies.

A sixth-round draft pick of Houston, out of Bowling Green, Jones, who started 11 games, was waived by both the Texans and Tampa Bay before being picked up by the Patriots. Vellano, who started eight games for the Pats, was undrafted out of Maryland.

The Patriots drafted a defensive lineman with perceived potential in the first round this year — Dominque Easley from the University of Florida. But he has had surgery on both knees and started just three games last year for the Gators after tearing an ACL in a non-contact, practice drill, so how he’ll hold up in the NFL is certainly in doubt.

The depth situation appears even more dire at linebacker.

While the starting trio of Jerod Mayo, Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins is formidable, behind them are nine-year veteran James Anderson and unheralded youngsters Steve Beauharnais and Ja’Gared Davis.

If the starting front seven can stay healthy, the Pats should be strong defensively.

But that’s a big “if.”

And we don’t want to think about what the Patriots would be like this season if soon-to-be 37-year-old QB Tom Brady gets hurt.